Excavator



May 16, 1939. D. H. YOUNG 2,158,348

.EXCAVATOR Filed Oct. 31, 1936 v 2 Shegts-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. Dona/a h. You/79 ATTORNEY.

y 16, 1939- D. H. YOUNG 2,158,348

EXCAVATOR Filed 001;. 51. 193a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FJLE E FIE E v ATTORNEY.

Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE EXCAVATOR' Donald H. Young,

San Francisco,

Calif., as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to The American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 31, 1936, Serial No. 108,561

2 Claims.

The successive buckets are connected by bucket pins which are held non-rotatably in one hinge element and rotate with respect to the other hinge element. customarily, the dredge buckets are made of manganese steel or comparable material which has tobe formed in approximately its finished shape by casting since machining is virtually impossible, being practically limited to minor surface grinding. In order to prevent undesired rotation of the bucket pin, a suitable socket is cast in the bucket, the pin having an offset lug or head fitting the socket as accurately as possible. Due to the customary manner of manufacture, the cast socket and the pin lug or head are only with considerable difliculty made to fit tightly in engagement. Whenever there is an improved means for holding an excavator pin.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of an excavator constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section the planeof which is indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1. a

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of afragmentary excavator, showing a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section the plane of which-is indicated by the line 4-0 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a fragmentary excavator, showing a further modified form of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 6-43 of Fig. 5.

In its preferred form, the excavator of my in- 55 vention comprises a dredge bucket having a pin A further object of' my invention is to provide aperture therethrough and a rib formed thereon adjacent said aperture and against which abuts a wedge also abutting the pin for holding the pin in position. I

In the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there is provided a dredge bucket, generally designated 6,-of the customary pattern ordinarily fabricated of cast manganese steel. To the body 6 is fastened a detachable lip I held in place by fastenings such as rivets 8. The bucket body 6 is provided with a lug 9 which is perforated to form an irregular passage il partially lined with a bushing l2 to afford a good frictional bearing 'for a bucket pin. The pin rotates against the bushing I2 so that when wear ultimately occurs the bushing I2 can be replaced and the bucket 6 itself will not be damaged.

Integrally formedwith the bucket 6 is a lug [3 having a pin aperture Hi therethrough adapted to register with the pin aperture H on a successive bucket in the series of buckets constituting the dredge excavator line. The aperture Hi is designedto' hold a bucket pin l6 relatively snugly, so that there will be no relative rotation between the circular cylindrical pin Hi and the aperture M but so that all of the rotation due to articulation of successive buckets will occur between the pin l6 and the bushing ii. In order to preclude rotation of the pin it with respect to the aperture M, the pin is provided with an ofiset lug I8 which is generally rectangular in cross-section and extends radially from the axis 19 of the pin body.

The bucket 6 is contoured to provide an outstanding .rib 2| adjacent the aperture it and preferably merging with the boss '13. The rib 2!, if not cast with sufficient precision, is machined by grinding only as much as may be necessary to provide a suitable face 22 approximate- 1y tangent to theaperture M. The lug it has a comparable meeting face 23 adapted to abut the face 22. and also has a face 2 which is substantially parallel to the face 23. I

In accordance with my invention, I provide means for gripping the lug l8 and the pin il in position. The bucket body 6 is cast to provide a rib 26 which is preferably integral with the body and merges withv the lug 13. The rib 26 terminates in a face 21 which in general is not parallel with the face 22 but is inclined with respect thereto, converging in a direction away from the axis IQ, for example, as shown in Fig. l. The face 2'! is preferably composite and includes an elevated ,portion 28 and a depressed portion 29, which are approximately parallel to each other. The portion 29 is roughly cast and is not ordinarily finished, whereas the raised portion 28 provides a key which, projecting from the level of the portion 29, is readily available with such portion. The fin 33 precludes any material axial movement of the wedge 3|.

order that the wedge may be appropriately manipulated, I afford a means for bringing it into tightly abutting relationship with the lug l8 and with the face 28.

For this purpose the wedge is extended to form a stem 36 having a threaded terminus 31 which passes through an aperture 38 in a lug 39 preferably cast integrally with the body 6. A nut 4| engages the threaded stem 31 and abuts the lug 39 through the medium of a suitable washer 42. When the nut is operated, the wedge is drawn into engagement with the lug l8, so that the face 23 is forced into abutment with the face 22 and so that the wedge body 32 is forced into engagement with the face 28. In this fashion, rotation of the pin l6 in the aperture i4 is absolutely precluded, and even if wear and looseness should occur, a suitable manipulation of the nut 4| will again restore tightness. At the same time, the fin 33 precludes axial displacement of the parts. The structure can be cast,

' as is customary, it being only occasionally necessary in manufacture to machine or grind the face 22 and the face 28.

Comparable considerations apply to the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this instance, the aperture l in the lug 52 is bounded by a tangential rib 53 and a converging rib 54. This rib is formed with a key 56 against which a wedge5l abuts. The wedge has a fin 58 extending into a groove 59 and is provided with a threaded passage 6| therethrough with which cooperates a set screw 62 abutting a wall 63 integrally formed with the bucket 64. With this arrangement the wedge 51 is forced into abut- In the arrangement of Figs. 5 and 6, a pin H is seated in an apertured lug 12 forming part of the bucket body 13, and an extension 14 of the .pin seats against a rib 16 formed integrally with the body. The extension 14 is cut away to provide an abutting face 18 and is formed with a threaded socket 19 into which a stud 8| is screwed. The stud passes through a pierced wedge 82 which has a face 83 seating against a key 84 formed integrally with the bucket body and comprising part of a rib 86 extending from the lug 12. The wedge 82 likewise is provided with a fin 81 which projects into a groove 88 between the key 84 and the bucket body 13. A nut 89 and an interposed washer 9| encompass the threaded stud 8|, and when the nut is suitably manipulated the wedge 82 is forced between the projection 14 of the pin and the key 84, and the projection 14 is forced against the rib 16, thereby holding the pin tightly in position.

I claim:

1. An excavator comprising a bucket body having a pin aperture therethrough, a pin seat on said body adjacent one end of said aperture, a pin in said aperture, a head on said pin having parallel sides, one of which abuts said pin seat, a wedge seat on said body merging with a wall normal to said parallel sides, a wedge interposed between the other side of said head and said wedge seat, and a set screw threaded through said wedge and having its leading end bearing upon said wall.

2. An excavator comprising a bucket body, a pin boss on said body having a pin aperture therethrough, a first rib and a second rib on said body diverging toward said aperture, a wall on said body normal to said first rib, a pin in said aperture, a head on said pin'having substantially parallel sides one of which'abuts said first rib, a wedge abutting said second rib and the other side of said head, and a set screw engaging said wedge and bearing upon said wall normal thereto.

DONALD H. YOUNG. 

